Buffett Rumor Boosts Beleaguered Suntech

After filing for bankruptcy and seeing its stock fall 40% when it default on $541 million in bonds, Chinese equity Suntech Power Holdings Co. (STP) has rallied on rumors that Warren Buffett may buy the company.

Suntech’s rally brought other languishing Chinese solar companies along with it at it rose 0.4% to 89.44 at the close of trading in New York on 8 April. According to Bloomberg, after falling 40% following the default, Suntech rose as much as 28% after a Hong Kong news service said Buffet’s MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. might buy the Chinese manufacturer.

No one’s quite sure why Buffett might want to buy Suntech, with all the debt he would inherit at a time when solar prices are low. There has been no confirmation from MidAmerican Holdings that any deal is in the works.

Chinese lenders signed a bankruptcy petition for Suntech over the company’s debt in excess of $2.2 billion. Suntech continues to produce solar panels, however, further compounding the oversupply problem and forcing more drops in prices.

Solar stocks are extremely volatile right now and unable to deal with the combination of oversupply and declining demand at a time when government subsidies are being slashed.